Physics Open House Is Sept. 29
September 06, 2012
If you want to know more about the secrets of the Universe, or if you simply wonder what makes your hair stand on end, the Physics Open House at Old Dominion University on Saturday, Sept. 29, is where you can find answers.
The event, from 1-4 p.m., will be held in the Physical Sciences Building, Pretlow Planetarium and the Mills E. Godwin Jr. Building. It is designed to be interesting to children and adults. Guests will be offered tours of laboratories of the Department of Physics, and various participatory activities and demonstrations about studies and research in physics.
There also will be special shows featuring ODU's Omniglobe, which is in the Physical Sciences Building.
Special presentations will be in Room 102 of the Godwin Building: 1 p.m. keynote address by Dr. Todd Satogata on "Accelerators and Health;" 2 p.m. live demo show featuring ODU physicist Larry Weinstein and Justin Mason; 3:30 p.m. keynote by ODU physics chair Charles Sukenik on "Ultracold Physics with Lasers."
At the planetarium there will be 30-minute shows throughout the open house. "Black Holes" for children in the 5th grade or higher will be at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. "Earth, Moon and Sun" for children in the 1st grade or higher will be at 1:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.
The Omniglobe uses two projectors and a hemispheric mirror inside it, together with a library of digital imagery provided by the instrument's computer component, to portray spherical objects ranging from the Earth and its moon to Jupiter and its moons. With a flick of a switch the OmniGlobe becomes a very colorful display of varying water temperatures in the Earth's oceans. Or it can provide a backdrop for geological lessons in plate tectonics.
At the planetarium, shows featuring images of our nighttime sky as well as other aspects of our universe are projected on a 40-foot dome.
This public event is free, but those who wish to attend are asked to register by visiting RSVP@odu.edu or the University Events website at www.odu.edu/univevents, event code POH12.